SuperSport and DStv extend exclusive Vodacom URC rights in Sub-Saharan Africa

SuperSport and the DStv platforms will continue to be the exclusive home of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship in Sub-Saharan Africa following a multi-year rights renewal agreed with the CANAL+ Group.

The agreement extends SuperSport’s remarkable 30-year commitment to South Africa’s professional club teams, the Vodacom Bulls, Fidelity SecureDrive Lions, DHL Stormers and Hollywoodbets Sharks, a relationship that stretches back to the beginning of the professional era in 1996 and continues through to the creation of the Vodacom URC in 2021.

It means rugby fans across Sub-Saharan Africa will continue to have access to the game’s most competitive club competitions, with the URC sitting proudly alongside SuperSport’s coverage of SA Rugby’s men’s and women’s international rugby, domestic tournaments, and the Under-20, Varsity and Schools levels of the game.

That coverage is supported by some of the biggest names ever to wear the Springbok jersey, with SuperSport’s outstanding roster of on-screen and commentary talent matched by the world-class live production standards that have placed the company at the elite end of sports broadcasting.

Since the formation of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, South African teams have been among the league’s headline acts. The Stormers won the inaugural title in 2022 after an all-South African Grand Final against the Bulls, setting the tone for the seasons that followed. Every Grand Final since has featured either the Stormers or Bulls, with three of the deciders hosted in South Africa, underlining the impact of the South African teams and the growing strength of the competition.

The league’s appeal has continued to grow across Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa and Wales, with a cumulative audience of 180 million tuning in since 2021 and more than 50 million viewer hours already recorded in the current season.

Rendani Ramovha, CANAL+ Director for Sports Content in English and Portuguese-speaking Africa, said: “The Vodacom URC has grown in leaps and bounds since the early years and it is now a staple in many homes every weekend and that is a credit to everyone involved in the competition, from its leadership, organisers and partners, to the clubs and players.

"We are looking forward to showcasing the incredible talent that is already on display in the VURC every weekend for many more years to come. We see this as a major step in ensuring that our DStv Premium subscribers get their full value and we will ensure that we enhance the broadcast, not just on game day but on all our platforms, including digital and magazine shows, as well as multiple language offerings.”

The renewal is also the first agreement reached directly between SuperSport and the United Rugby Championship since SA Rugby became a shareholder in the league in 2025.

Speaking about the partnership, Martin Anayi, CEO of the United Rugby Championship, said: “SuperSport have set tremendous standards when it comes to storytelling in rugby. They bring the emotion of the game into people’s homes and deliver a level of insight from players who have achieved the highest honours in the sport and they have been doing it for over 30 years.

“The continued support of the league and the four major franchises in South Africa is another major boost for the Vodacom URC, which continues to go from strength to strength. Our relationship with SuperSport, and the team at the CANAL+ Group, is helping drive coverage of the Vodacom URC to new levels. The competition has established itself as thrilling and unpredictable, truly making it the hardest league to win.”

Adding his comments about the continuation of SuperSport’s coverage, Rian Oberholzer, CEO of SA Rugby, added: “SuperSport were there on the first day of professional rugby and to have them continuing into a new era in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, in a fourth decade continues a special relationship.

“This is great news for rugby fans in South Africa who will be able to enjoy unrivalled coverage of our teams in the most competitive club competition in world rugby.”